Below is a recording of a sermon I preached this past Sunday at Prairie Presbyterian Church. My text was John 3:1-21. As I was working on the sermon, I began to notice interesting connections between the story of Nicodemus’s encounter with Jesus and our current cultural struggles surrounding race in North America. The fact that I’ve been reading Jonathan Tran’s insightful book, Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism, is also surely a contributing factor. The first part of the sermon is sure to aggravate cultural warriors on the left and the right, but I do think the second half gestures towards a more distinctive Christian approach to this set of problems. Continue reading A Sermon for Black History Month
Category Archives: Videos
Vaccines, Restrictions, and the Church – Video
The recording of the recent online panel discussion on the topic “Vaccines, Restrictions, and the Church” has been posted on the Providence YouTube channel. Those interested, can watch it below:
The Church Post Pandemic Forum on YouTube
Recordings of the sessions from the recent Zoom forum on the theme “The Church Post Pandemic” hosted by the Biblical and Theological Studies Department at Providence Theological Seminary are now available on YouTube. These include excellent presentations from my colleagues Lissa Wray Beal and Joshua Coutts and three Southern Manitoba pastors. Alongside of these presentations is my paper that draws upon the work of St. Augustine of Hippo as a resource for understanding ourselves, our world, the identity of the church, and the vocation of pastors in the time of the COVID pandemic.
You can watch the videos here.
Fleming Rutledge and Clint Eastwood on Contemporary Christian Music
When Fleming Rutledge and Clint Eastwood are in agreement about something then you have to stop and listen! Of course, it’s not the real Clint Eastwood, but it was hard to resist quoting Fleming Rutledge in juxtaposition to the latest Lutheran Satire video which features Clint Eastwood reading the lyrics of contemporary praise songs. Continue reading Fleming Rutledge and Clint Eastwood on Contemporary Christian Music
Reformation Resources
On September 16, 2017, the Centre for Mentorship and Theological Reflection hosted a special event at Tyndale Seminary to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It was a rich evening of fellowship and reflection upon the life, theology, and legacy of Martin Luther. Video of the evening’s presentations have now been posted online. Continue reading Reformation Resources
The Prophet and the Pastor: Bono and Eugene Peterson
Yesterday Fuller Studio premiered a new documentary that focuses on the unlikely friendship and love of the Psalms shared by, arguably, two of today’s most important spiritual leaders – Bono and Eugene Peterson. Peterson, who is perhaps most widely known for his translation of the Bible known as The Message, has significantly shaped contemporary conversation in the areas of pastoral and spiritual theology. Over the past forty years, his calm and steady voice has saved many pastors from foundering on the rocks of the Church Growth and Marketing movements. For those who aren’t familiar with Bono, he is an international activist and humanitarian who moonlights as the front-man of the Irish rock band U2. Continue reading The Prophet and the Pastor: Bono and Eugene Peterson